


Black Star Day

by tyomawrites



Series: Blinder Slice of Life [3]
Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: Canonical Character Death, M/M, Period Typical Attitudes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-17
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2020-03-06 18:57:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18857098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tyomawrites/pseuds/tyomawrites
Summary: At that, Arthur turns and kisses him, plants a determined and deep kiss firmly onto his lips on Garrison Lane right where everyone can see them. The others woop and cheer around them. Henry is dimly away of John shoving Arthur playfully while some of the others wolf-whistle. When Arthur pulls away, his cheeks are flushed pink but he’s smiling widely.





	Black Star Day

**Small Heath,**

**December 3rd, 1919.**

 

Henry jolts when Tommy smacks his knee. His legs are pressed onto Arthur’s back, while he’s folded onto the crammed window ledge half-asleep next to Arthur and his desk. Arthur yanks his head upwards, his hair flopping back as he jerks his head up with a questioning groan. Arthur huffs when he feels Henry’s knees press into his back. 

“Did we fuckin fall asleep here?” Arthur rumbles, reaching over to grip at Henry’s hand for a split second. Henry chuckles, before shifting and squeezing out of the small gap between Arthur’s chair and the wall before he plants his feet on the ground and stretches. 

His spine cracks and he holds onto Arthur’s hand and squeezes it, before he feels the crick in his neck and hip. “Should’ve gone to bed in a real bed.” Henry complains half-heartedly, thinking about his bed in his flat. Arthur gives his own agreeing chuckle while Arthur puts his hand over Henry’s back, where he feels the stiffness in his joints, and presses hard, until there’s the familiar pop of his spine.

“Ah fuck.” Arthur leans in and kisses him, hard and fast before Tommy ducks his head back around the doorway and frowns at them.

“Hurry up the two of ye.” Tommy backs out and lingers, watching the both of them with a firm expression. Arthur raises his hands in surrender, letting go of his grip on Henry’s waist before he grabs his coat. Henry reaches over to grab his, snatching it up from the back of Arthur’s chair before pulling it over his shoulders.

“We’re coming Jesus Tommy.” Arthur calls out to Tommy’s back. Henry glances at him and Arthur grins back at him. The smile is sweet, the expression in Arthur’s pale blue eyes are sweeter. Henry reaches out and grabs Arthur’s hands as they walk through the the door into the Garrison's main room and greet the others at the bar. 

 

Grace just gives them a cheeky look from behind the bar and smiles at them sweetly when Arthur raises a playful eyebrow back at her.

 

* * *

 

“You were mostly in the war, so you know that battle plans always change and get fucked up. Well, here it is. Things have changed. We fight them here. Today. Alone. Now, they're going to come for the pub. They're going to try to break us up for good.” Arthur hands him a rifle through Tommy’s speech, with a hand on his bad shoulder, rubbing it slowly, right over the line of a scar. “And we'll have no help from the law today. That pub there is called the Garrison. Well, now it really is one. And it belongs to us, right?"

"How many are there?" John pipes up from next to them. Henry shoots Arthur a soft smile, Arthur’s faith in him is harder to forget than anything 

“Jeremiah says two Riley vans. So I reckon we're outnumbered three to one. Ah Fuck. But it's us, boys. It's us. The Small Heath Rifles. Never lost a fight yet, did we?”

“No!” Henry grips onto Arthur’s hand surreptitiously, squeezing it between his fingers.  

“All right. Jeremiah. I know you vowed to God to never pick up a weapon again.But can you ask him from me if you can help us today?”

"God says he don't deal with Small Heath, sir."

"Good man. Arthur, Scudboat, Henry. You take the flanks. Just like at St Marie."

"Sir." Arthur grunts 

"Curly, if any Shelby man dies here today, you bury us side by side. All right. We've about ten minutes. Make your peace with whoever." At that, Arthur turns and kisses him, plants a determined and deep kiss firmly onto his lips on Garrison Lane right where everyone can see them. The others woop and cheer around them. Henry is dimly away of John shoving Arthur playfully while some of the others wolf-whistle. When Arthur pulls away, his cheeks are flushed pink but he’s smiling widely.

Henry feels tears pricking at his eye, before he lunches forward and throws his arms around Arthur’s shoulders. He hugs Arthur tightly, pressing his face into the crook of Arthur’s shoulder. 

Their ten minutes tick down slowly on their pocket watches. Henry has his propped open entirely just so he can stare at it while Arthur presses his lips to the name of Henry’s neck. Henry is scared. The rifle Arthur handed him was a heavy weight, paired with the uncertainty that lingers in the face of fighting Billy Kimber and his boys with the number that they have has his palms sweaty.

“You’re still a good shot. I know it.” Arthur says softly into his ear as he shifts his grip on his rifle. The long hand of the pocket watch ticks past their fifth minute of waiting. Henry kisses Arthur’s cheek again, brushing his nose over Arthur’s cheekbones. 

“I’m scared Arthur, if you die today-” Henry cuts himself off and shakes his head. 

Arthur frowns but goes silent as Jeremiah taps on his shoulder for a quick word. Two Riley vans versus the ten of them, at best there’s ten of them. Him, Arthur, Tommy, Scudboat and Jeremiah =. Henry has no clue where Danny is, no damn idea.

Billy Kimber and his army of men show up right on time, just as the long hand of Henry’s pocket watch ticks past ten minutes, Billy Kimber and his boys stroll up Garrison Lane holding their guns high. 

“It does have to be like this, Kimber.” Tommy calls out from the front of their lines. Henry hefts the rifle against his left shoulder hesitantly, aiming down the length of the barrel, the sight is trained directly onto Kimber’s chest.

“Too late for all that.” Kimber scowls. “You’ve bit off more than you can chew you little toerag, and now I’m going to take over this shithole.” 

“Oh? We have to use guns.” Tommy laughs mockingly. “Let’s use proper guns.” A door pushes open behind them. Feet step onto the gravel. Freddie pushes through the line until he’s standing next to Tommy, wielding one of the Lewis machine guns that the police were asking about.

“Sergeant Thorne reporting for duty sir.” Freddie says in delight as he hefts the machine gun on his kip.

“You were saying something about being out-gunned.” Tommy crows, delighted at the apprehension on Billy Kimber’s face. 

“Move!” Ada pushes through Billy Kimber’s men with Karl in his pram. She glares at Freddie and Tommy when Tommy barks out. “What are you doing?” 

“I believe you boys call this "no-man's land.” Ada proclaims. She’s dressed in all black, a veil across her face. 

“Ada.” Freddie tries. 

“Shut up and listen.” Ada snaps.

Have you lost your mind? “I said shut up! Now, most of you were in France. So you all know what happens next. I've got brothers and a husband here but you've all got somebody waiting for you.” Ada addresses both her brothers and Kimber’s men without any hesitation in her voice.

Now, I'm wearing black in preparation.

“I want you to look at me. I want you all to look at me. Who'll be wearing black for you? Think about them. Think about them right now. And fight if you want to, but that baby ain't moving anywhere. And neither am I.”

Silence fills the air of Garrison Lane for a moment. weights shift on men’s feet, before Kimber speaks. “She’s right you know. Why should all you men die? It should just be them who’s caused it.” Henry spots Billy’s movement too late. Tommy gets shot in the chest. Tommy stumbles back as Freddie goes on the defensive and moves to get his son out of the way. Henry raises the rifle to train it onto Billy Kimber’s temple, hesitating only by the yelling of “Don’t shoot!” Coming from Freddie.

A gunshot and Billy Kimber’s body falling to the ground catches him off guard more than he would like. “Enough. Kimber and me fought this battle one on one. It's over. Go home to your families.” Tommy powers through with a groan, holding onto his chest as he tries to stand straight and act imposing. 

It’s over before it can truly start.


End file.
